Mike & The Mechanics debuted with their stellar eponymous album in 1985 which highlighted Rutherford's innovative guitar work and the vocal talents of the two Pauls, amongst other guest vocalists. Initially, the group's albums were released between Genesis albums, all three Genesis members having solo projects of their own, most notable in the huge chart success of singer/drummer Phil Collins. This ended with the disbanding of Genesis in 1998.
The classic song "The Living Years" from the album of the same name was to be the height of their critical success to date; the #1 single was written by and about the dissension between singer BA Robertson and his father, a situation that was never rectified prior to his father's death, sung with great passion by Carrack. The album also featured the song "Nobody's Perfect" which received considerable airtime as the music to a successful television advertising campaign for Tennants bitter. Their third album "Word of Mouth" followed in 1991 with less commercial and critical success although the lead single, with vocals by Paul Young, reached the Top 20. The fourth album "Beggar On a Beach of Gold" was a high watermark in the quality of their material, with both the album and first single "Over My Shoulder" charting well with many considering the album the band's best work.
After a hiatus following Young's death from a heart attack on July 17, 2000, the band reformed in 2004 as Mike & the Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack releasing the album "Rewired".
A new Mike & the Mechanics album (titled "The Road") was released in the spring of 2011, supported by a 22-date UK tour. Replacing Carrack and Young as vocalists for the group are Andrew Roachford and Canadian actor/singer Tim Hower.
When I Get Over You
Mike & The Mechanics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be who I want to be
I'll sleep where I want to sleep
And laugh at your memory
When I get over you
I'm not gonna need a friend
I'm not gonna tell the truth
You'll never see me cry
You're gonna see something new
You're not gonna watch me die
When I get over you
When I get over you
I won't make the same mistake
I don't wanna hear your voice
I don't wanna see your face
I know it's all in the past
And it's long overdue
I know that I won't look back
When I get over you
Did somebody teach you how to lie
And take what you're feeling from
your eyes
It's a sad disguise
Take it off and say goodbye
You'll never see me cry
You're gonna see something new
You're not gonna watch me die
When I get over you
Did somebody teach you how to lie
And take what you're feeling from
your eyes
It's a sad disguise
Take it off and say goodbye
When I get over you
I'll be who I want to be
I'll sleep where I want to sleep
And laugh at your memory
When I get over you
I'm not gonna need a friend
I'm not gonna tell the truth
I'll never do that again
When I get over this
I won't make the same mistake
I don't wanna hear your voice
I don't wanna see your face
The lyrics to Mike & The Mechanics's song "When I Get Over You" are about someone who has just gotten out of a bad relationship and is ready to move on. The singer is expressing their determination to not let the pain and hurt from the relationship control their life anymore. They will now be who they want to be, sleep where they want to sleep and laugh at the memories of their past relationship. The singer is not going to need a friend and is not going to tell the truth about their feelings anymore. They are willing to take on a new persona and start over.
The singer has come to terms with the fact that the relationship is over and will no longer make the same mistake of trusting their partner again. They do not want to hear or see their partner anymore as they know it's all in the past and they won't look back. The reference to someone teaching their partner how to lie indicates that the pain caused by the partner's betrayal runs deep. However, the singer is ready to move on and when they finally get over their partner, they will never do that again.
Overall, the song encourages listeners who have gone through a bad breakup to learn from their mistakes and move on to greater things in life. It is about taking control of one's life and not letting the past control their future.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get over you
Once I have emotionally overcome our relationship
I'll be who I want to be
I will regain control over my own life and identity
I'll sleep where I want to sleep
I will have the freedom to make decisions for myself without being weighed down by our past relationship
And laugh at your memory
I will no longer be burdened by negative emotions in association with our intertwined history and can even find humor in it
I'm not gonna need a friend
I will be self-sufficient and not dependent on outside influences to validate my existence
I'm not gonna tell the truth
I will no longer need to be truthful about my feelings towards you or emotions evoked by our separation
I'll never do that again
I refuse to let someone have that kind of control over me again
You'll never see me cry
You will no longer have the power to elicit such an emotional response from me
You're gonna see something new
You will witness a strength and independence you never would have thought possible from me
You're not gonna watch me die
You will not be responsible for my downfall or emotional demise anymore
I won't make the same mistake
I have learned from my past mistakes and will not repeat them
I don't wanna hear your voice
I do not want any reminders of the past to hinder my future progress
I don't wanna see your face
I need to completely separate myself from your influence in order to move on
Did somebody teach you how to lie
Did someone else teach you how to conceal your true emotions and intentions
And take what you're feeling from your eyes
Is it common for you to mask your emotions so that others cannot see them
It's a sad disguise
It's deeply concerning and disheartening that you feel the need to pretend and hide behind a facade
Take it off and say goodbye
You need to be honest with yourself and me in order for us to move on and say goodbye to our relationship
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marian Cox
Paul Young - always at his best - the emotion and vibrancy he brought to his singing was amazing
Claudia Noriker
paul young will always remain the best singer the mechanics ever had. incredible voice and stage presence and a very handsome guy. i miss you!
Kool Kitties
I like Paul Carrack better
George Taylor
Another masterpiece from the brilliant Paul young superb still missed after all these years RIP YOUNGY
Colleen Burns
Paul Young was and always will be a LEGEND! What an amazing song! RIP Youngy. X
Starikov Starikov
Великая вещь, одиночество , творчество, видение мира.
Romulo Tristao
Esta música é umas das minhas preferidas.
MrJoseppie123
Yes, i agree with everyone so far about the Mechanics. I've seen them live loads of times & also Paul Carrack. Really breathtaking performances. RIP Paul Young a true legend
Starikov Starikov
Шедевр, а текст!!!. Минор, надежда, слёзы, Вещь!!!.
Starikov Starikov
Лихо!!!.Красиво,стильно, клас.